500 Small, Meaningful Delights

In this letter, it occurred to me, unlike previous and subsequent ones, to simply present a list of small delights that came to mind impromptu, written in the hope of reaching you. These kinds of seemingly trivial, free, small pleasures—whose list is endless—if their "moment" is more fully grasped and they are experienced with "slowness" and "concentration of the senses," sometimes refresh and sweeten life more than apparently greater pleasures. They are no substitute for other, richer sources of meaning (love, art, children, friendship, God, and improving the lives of others), but although individually they may seem small and trivial, together, the accumulation of these repeatable, free, small pleasures can itself become one of the sources of meaning in life. It also increases our vitality for flourishing and making life happier, more virtuous, and more valuable. If the spirit, art, and skills of seeing blessings, enjoying them, and appreciation are strengthened, the sum of these small pleasures can be a basis for better passing the time. As is clear, enjoyment requires "mental resources" more than "objective resources." In other words, the source of pleasure is more "internal" than "external," and this source can be tapped not only through sensory and physical stimuli, but also through a strong and cultivated imagination. The "software of pleasure" is more important than the "hardware of pleasure"...

500 Small, Meaningful Delights

A Letter to Two Friends

Dear Beloved Mohammad-Hossein and Dearest Emad

Hello. I hope you are well and in good spirits.

In this letter, it occurred to me, unlike previous and subsequent ones, to simply present a list of small delights that came to mind impromptu, written in the hope of reaching you. These kinds of seemingly trivial, free, small pleasures—whose list is endless—if their "moment" is more fully grasped and they are experienced with "slowness" and "concentration of the senses," sometimes refresh and sweeten life more than apparently greater pleasures. They are no substitute for other, richer sources of meaning (love, art, children, friendship, God, and improving the lives of others), but although individually they may seem small and trivial, together, the accumulation of these repeatable, free, small pleasures can itself become one of the sources of meaning in life. It also increases our vitality for flourishing and making life happier, more virtuous, and more valuable. If the spirit, art, and skills of seeing blessings, enjoying them, and appreciation are strengthened, the sum of these small pleasures can be a basis for better passing the time. As is clear, enjoyment requires "mental resources" more than "objective resources." In other words, the source of pleasure is more "internal" than "external," and this source can be tapped not only through sensory and physical stimuli, but also through a strong and cultivated imagination. The "software of pleasure" is more important than the "hardware of pleasure." For someone who possesses the mental skills and art of enjoyment, sometimes the imagination and conception of a pleasure in the corner of a room yields a more intense and subtler delight than its physical experience. Just like a dream. And even more intense than a dream, because we have more control over it, without any temporal, spatial, or physical limitations. Pleasures—both small and large—if they:

• do not occupy all of life and do not replace doing good
• do not conflict with living ethically and spiritually
• do not lead to greater apparent or inner pain and suffering in the long term, and do not deprive one of a greater apparent or inner pleasure, and
• are accompanied by gratitude for the blessing and attention to the Bestower,

I think they should be prescribed. The more one partakes of these wholesome pleasures, under the conditions above, the better. Among pleasures, these kinds of low-cost, simple, and harmless delights are the most desirable. Please forgive the list's shortcomings, owing to its impromptu nature and for the sake of your own dear self. Perhaps merely reviewing and imaginatively experiencing such small, cost-free pleasures (provided it is done skillfully and with concentration) might brighten your time for a few moments. These were the first things that came to my mind off the cuff. You can add several hundred of your own personal pleasures, derive greater enjoyment daily from the physical or imaginary experience of dozens of them, and find more energy for useful work, multiplied kindnesses, and your other political and personal activities. May the new, pure delights you constantly discover and cultivate throughout daily life be sweet to your being!

Yours truly,

Mohammad Reza Jalaeipour

Aban 1391

• Receiving the baby wrapped in a towel from the bath
• Touching Houshang Ebtehaj's beard
• Reaching the gum at the center of a lollipop
• Your inaccurate shot in football turns into a beautiful, precise goal
• Turning the pillow over
• After pouring their heart out to you, they say, "I feel lighter"
• Getting thoroughly dirty and muddy and then, under the warm shower, watching the grime wash off your body
• A child laughing wholeheartedly at the faces and sounds you make
• Lifting up your beloved's hair and gently kissing the back of their neck
• Caressing the sole of a baby's foot with the tip of your index finger
• The baby grasping your finger with their tiny hands and squeezing
• The snipping sound of a reed pen and ink on glossy paper
• Winking at them, and they immediately wink back
• Doing a cannonball dive
• Double sixes! Several in a row
• The sound of an ace serve in tennis
• The squeal of delight from someone you surprised for no reason
• They fall asleep in your arms
• Getting on the scale and having lost more weight than you expected
• Eating cheese puffs / dill and fava bean rice with meat, getting it thoroughly stuck between your teeth, and then flossing it out
• The feel of a new toothbrush
• They wear the perfume you like
• They say, "What a good listener you are!"
• Reaching the cone of the ice cream
• Sleeping on the rooftop or in the middle of a plain under a starry sky in mild weather
• Bringing the glass of cinnamon tea to your lips and finding it neither burns nor lacks warmth
• Sitting on a swivel chair, pressing its lever, and it smoothly rises/lowers
• Climbing a tree laden with fruit
• Taking off your shoes and socks and placing your bare feet on the grass
• Splashing water on your friends at the edge of the pool/river/sea
• Going to the restroom on the train/plane/in the mosque/McDonald's and finding it empty with no need to wait
• The shower water being warm right from the start
• Calligraphing with your finger on the fogged-up car window
• Listening to the sound of your mother's prayers, her pronunciation of the 's' and 'ṣ' letters
• Liking the scent of the perfume you received as a gift
• Spitting from the window or between the stairwells of the upper floor and hearing the sound of it hitting the ground floor
• Throwing trash from a distance and it goes straight into the bin
• Finding a smooth, flat, light stone by the riverside or shore for skipping on water, and when you throw it, it skips more than 7 times
• The moment you are putting on a new pair of socks
• The crunching sound of walking on a dry, snowy night
• The taste of new toothpaste
• A piece of clothing you liked or received as a gift fitting you exactly
• They think you've fallen asleep and come to put a blanket over you
• Falling asleep in the car and opening your eyes to see you haven't arrived yet and can sleep more
• They laugh wholeheartedly and loudly at your joke
• Tossing a segment of a thin-skinned tangerine into the air and it lands right in your mouth
• Resting your head on their lap and they run their fingers like a comb through your hair and gently play with it
• Waking from a deep sleep, checking the clock, and seeing you still have plenty of time to sleep
• Lying on your back on the grass
• Making out complex shapes in the clouds
• The peel of an orange coming off very cleanly without any juice running out
• Seeing them after they come back from the barber/salon
• Giving a warm hello to elderly men/women and they suddenly smile
• You tell your friend: “You’ve lost weight” or “That outfit looks great on you,” and they smile and say: “Really?”
• You look closely into their eyes, and their eyes smile and they cast their gaze to the ground
• They keep your gift in a special place
• A child isn’t shy with you and, right from the start in your arms, laughingly slaps your face with their palm
• You say goodbye and leave; after a few steps you turn around and see they are still watching you
• You comb a baby’s hair and part it
• The dawn/evening call to prayer by Moazzenzadeh in the mosque courtyard
• You realize they truly loved your gift
• You doodle/calligraph aimlessly with a pen during a meeting/class
• After washing a mountain of dishes, that moment when you rinse the sink and it becomes spotlessly clean
• On the road, you stick your hand into the pocket of a jacket or coat you haven’t worn in ages and find seeds/gum inside
• You don’t want to leave the party, and suddenly another round of tea arrives and you sit back down
• A group of several people all show up exactly on time for an appointment
• You’re behind the wheel, and in the middle of the intersection the light turns yellow and you’ve already crossed
• You panic that you’ve left your mobile behind, then find it in your pocket or bag
• You walk alongside your sibling and know your mom is watching from behind and enjoying it
• You hug a tree in silence for a few minutes
• You crumble and scatter dry bread for the geese and birds
• You talk with elderly men/women about their youth and see them light up and get carried away
• You wholeheartedly make special, good prayers for your friends, and sometimes tell them when and what good prayer you made for them
• You give charity on behalf of your parents
• Without having any business, you call one of your old friends and ask how they are
• You pick up a rubber band, aim casually, and hit your friend precisely on the back of the neck
• You sing to them on their voicemail
• The front seat of the first taxi is empty and it goes exactly where you want
• The elderly man/woman you picked up and gave a ride to on the road says: “May you be blessed in your youth”
• At the restaurant/party, there’s an empty seat next to the person you like most for you to sit in
• You find out you’re going exactly the same way back with one of the guests who has a car
• You see the memorial service venue has chairs and your legs won’t fall asleep
• You see your mom or dad made happy by the other one’s affection
• You see the prayer leader has a beautiful voice
• Before anyone sees, you realize your zipper is down and you zip it up
• The dish of hot, toasted, and crispy potato tahdig is passed hand to hand until it reaches you
• You pop your own or a loved one’s pimple very cleanly
• You press the submit/send button for your finished thesis/article
• You receive the book, film, or album you wanted to buy as a gift
• Without them noticing, you give them bunny ears in a photo
• You watch those you love while they are asleep
• You sniff Vicks, and your nose clears
• Under the shower, you compose melodies for your favorite poems
• Behind the wheel, you lift their hand and kiss it
• You smile at them with your eyes through the car mirror
• You make up a funny joke and tell it without mentioning you made it up, and they laugh
• Someone tells you a joke you made up yourself
• The loose change in your pocket exactly matches the price of your purchase and is used up
• After a shower, you smell and caress them
• You sing on a motorcycle/bicycle
• The scent of new shampoo/soap on their hair and skin
• You stick your head out the car window and the wind caresses your face and tousles your hair
• You find a good new route for running
• The moment of shifting into 5th gear
• They sit behind you on the motorcycle and hug you from the back
• You hug your friend tightly after a long absence, and you both stay like that for a few moments, eyes closed, silent and still
• After tasting wonderful flavors, you close your eyes and say with pleasure: Mmmmmmmmmmm!!!
• The feeling when you blow very softly on the skin of your own upper arm
• You shake someone’s hand firmly, and without speaking, they warmly press your hand back with a warm smile
• They guess your age as younger than you really are
• The first time you sing an entire ballad/song from memory, along with the singer or alone
• A toothless baby bites your finger
• Pushing the food stuck between your teeth with your tongue and having it come out very smoothly (especially pieces of Chos-e Fil)
• Pulling into a parking spot between two cars with one swift, clean turn of the wheel
• Winning at Rock Paper Scissors and its variations
• Falling asleep in prostration in a crowded mosque on the Night of Qadr
• The final period of the last answer on the last exam
• Ticking off an item on your to-do list
• Welcoming hugs at the airport
• The first few chews of gum
• The moment when, after struggling a lot, you suddenly remember something that had slipped your mind
• When, after lots of practice, you're finally satisfied with your signature
• A child gives you the drawing they made for you as a gift
• When the bidet water is lukewarm
• A race or hide-and-seek with 7-8 kids under 7 years old
• The first key you try from the keychain opens the lock
• Walking on the curb along the sidewalk/street
• Soaking your workout clothes with sweat
• A baby smiling in their sleep
• After a bit of banter, managing to get them to treat you
• Wrapping a gift you bought for someone tastefully
• Having so much sand piled on you at the beach that your whole body except your head is buried
• Writing heartfelt dedications inside the books you give as gifts
• The crackling sound of a wood fire, its smell and warmth at night
• Sneaking a bite of hot chicken kebab right off the grill
• The food you cooked is ready and you start decorating it with enthusiasm and artistry
• Finding the end of the tape
• Wearing loud yellow/orange/green/red socks
• A very loud sneeze combined with a shout in the absence of others
• Opening the lid of a jam/soda/olive/pickle jar after others have failed
• Someone polishes your glasses without you asking
• Using a Bic pen's ink down to the very last drop
• Calling/texting your friend to tell them to look at tonight's beautiful moon, and they see it and get excited
• When your mom is praying for you
• Discovering a new shortcut
• Long, peaceful silences with close friends
• Ringing the doorbell for a meeting spot at the exact second
• Gently kissing their cheek while they're asleep
• Napping with a friend in nature
• Wearing underwear with loud colors and cheerful patterns
• A stomachache from laughing
• Having "Hafez be Sa'y-e Sayeh", "Gozide-ye Ghazaliyat-e Shams by Shafi'i Kadkani" and "Ghazaliyat-e Sa'di" at hand during trips and gatherings at friends' homes
• A long shower
• Screaming out the car window in a tunnel
• Making the first footprint in the snow at Tochal
• Driving late at night with loud music through the empty streets of Tehran
• Holiday hugs
• They call to make sure you got home safe
• The tennis ball hits the net and trickles over into the opponent's court
• Buying an extra, unasked-for hot Sangak/Barbari bread for the neighbor
• Throwing a balled-up sock into the corner of the room/closet from a distance
• A very deep breath after opening the window
• Pulling back the curtains and watching the light stream in
• The neighborhood street sweeper humming a song by Iraj Bastami/Shajarian/Nazeri
• Riding a bike no-handed downhill
• Staring at the details of the patterns on a leaf/petal
• Offering to take a photo for people who are holding a camera
• Putting your hands over their eyes from behind, telling them to open their mouth, and putting something tasty in it
• Asking them to scratch your back and giving them directions: up, up, left, left, left, aaaahhh
• Making them laugh when their mouth is full
• Sliding down the stair landings when you're coming down
• Out of the blue, asking your mom/younger sibling, "Where would you like to go together right now?" and taking them there immediately
• Laughing silently until you're in stitches
• Shedding tears quietly and simultaneously with loved ones
• Breathing "ha ha" under the blanket to warm it up
• A fragrant prayer mat
• Playing with a marshmallow in your mouth
• Ice-cold water after ice cream
• Driving alone with loud music
• Sticking your left hand out the window while driving and moving it up and down perpendicular to the wind
• The sound of Mustafa Ismail's Quran recitation from the mosque's indoor loudspeaker
• The taxi driver listening to really good traditional and classical music
• Your professor playing cheesy Jak-o-Javad pop music in their car
• Pairing their shoes in front of their feet
• Taking a photo of them and seeing the delight of seeing their picture in the sparkle of their gaze
• The shirt/scarf/manteau/pants/jewelry you bought for them is worn
• Painting/calligraphy on their skin
• The moment when, after lots of practice or by chance, you learn to whistle a new way with your mouth and hands
• The sound and light of striking a match in the dark
• Performing ablution at dawn/dusk with pool water
• Political/philosophical/religious debate in the jacuzzi, telling jokes in the dry sauna, and singing and sliding on swimsuits in the steam sauna
• While running in nature/mountain climbing, opening your arms and shouting towards the sky: Yoo-hooooooo!!
• Seeing the unconscious smile of satisfaction on someone you had the fortune to help
• Hiding behind the door and, in a way that doesn't badly scare them, jumping out and saying: Booooooo!!!
• The memory of the first kiss
• Looking at and following the gaze of others without them realizing
• A jasmine flower between the pages of the Quran
• Smelling and watching agarwood burn
• Listening with closed eyes to the piano of Tiersen/the tar of Lotfi/the setar of Ebadi/the santur of Meshkatian/the kamancheh of Kalhor
• The moment when a large grape bursts between your molars and its juice splashes onto the roof of your mouth
• Setting fire to a pile of firewood/cardboard/newspaper/charcoal at night
• Realizing you got the multiple-choice question right by chance
• Taking their hand and guiding them across a steep mountain slope or rock over a river
• Surprisingly popping the balloons at the party
• Floating on your back on the pool/sea water facing the sky and playing the flute, and softly gulping and letting the water that comes into your mouth out
• Watching kids' fits of laughter on YouTube
• Choosing suitable names for your own and your friends' dolls
• Opening your mouth towards the sky and feeling the first raindrops fall on your tongue
• Watching the moon for a long time
• Eating puffed corn snacks while simultaneously sucking on a candy at the corner of your mouth
• Eating snow in the mountains with grape molasses/Nutella/honey
• Sliding on snow/ice with a plastic tablecloth/tube
• The steam that comes out of your mouth on cold days and nights
• Driving in the rain with songs by Ghomeshi/U2/Stings/Cohen
• Accidentally doing a clean nutmeg in football
• Flying a kite with a few other people in Tehran's Pardisan Park or by the beach
• Swimming in an outdoor pool or the sea in the rain
• When you stretch your limbs and mouth to relieve fatigue, pausing at the peak of muscular extension and contraction and saying from the back of your throat: Aaaaaaaaah
• Listening to the sound of birds and its details with focused attention and closed eyes
• Throwing not-too-hard, playful punches at friends
• Getting not-too-hard beatings from friends
• A child's delight when you hand them the balloon you bought for them
• Getting candy/toffee from your grandpa/grandma
• Unexpectedly pulling candy/fruit jelly out of your pocket and offering it to friends unasked
• Watching the moment friends' improvisational playing warms up
• Watching the details of birds' flight precisely and continuously
• Wetting your lips with your tongue after they've dried and then pressing your moist lips together
• The prayer leader chooses your more beloved verses and recites them in his prayer
• After a shower, directing the warm air of the hairdryer onto your wet hand and body skin to dry faster
• After brushing with mint toothpaste, drawing air into your mouth and feeling the coolness of the airway
• Looking at the fingers and the style of others' hand movements, especially the beloved's
• The sound of biting into a crisp, sour, juicy apple
• The snowball you threw hits them
• The sound, smell, and feel of water and sweeping in front of the house door
• The exam question being exactly from the part you exceptionally read and know
• Delivering a nice-sounding and not-too-painful slap on the back of the neck
• Saying loudly and from the bottom of the heart: Thank God!
• Throwing cushions at family members and friends
• Getting hit with a soft cushion
• Hunting for and watching the smile of satisfaction on Mom and Dad's faces
• Putting your foot up on the empty seat in the row ahead at the cinema
• Taking your shoes off under the desk in class, at work, or in a meeting and letting your feet air out
• When someone is enjoying anything, asking them: "Are you enjoying it?" and them answering with more laughter and pleasure: Yeah!!
• Running your hand over your friend's or your own freshly shaved head
• The smile of someone you give your seat to on the bus/metro/at a party/in a lecture hall
• The dimple on the left cheek
• Tossing a little kid in the air, hearing them burst into laughter, and catching them again
• The smell of a prayer mohr worn down by the tongue
• Watering the garden and spraying the water by pressing your thumb on a high-pressure hose
• Silence at parties and reading others' body language, their attractions and reactions to each other
• Suddenly making the shower water cold and then warming it up again
• The quiver of a newborn's lip about to cry
• The first deep breath when you stand up after meditation
• Throwing someone/being thrown into a pool/river/sea
• Sprawling on the ground/grass and panting after a running race or push-ups
• Losing to kids on purpose and naturally in a running race or arm wrestling
• Making funny and goofy sounds for kids
• News of the love/marriage of two friends you introduced to each other
• The memory of the sight of pilgrims circumambulating from the second floor of Masjid al-Haram
• The mirror in the elevator
• The feeling of air passing between your teeth after using minty dental floss
• News of the release/furlough of prisoners (especially political ones)
• Your favorite song/ballad playing on the TV/radio/neighbor's stereo
• Seeing a word whose meaning you just learned that same day in several texts and situations
• Asking a taxi driver to play his favorite song and watching his smile while it plays and the sparkle in his eyes when he sees your smile
• Buying extra ice cream/pastilles and giving them to the first worker and child laborer you see
• The cracking sound of your body's joints when you stretch behind your desk to relieve fatigue and straighten your back
• Making paper rockets, frogs, boats, and origami shapes in formal meetings
• The smell of rain-soaked earth from behind the window
• When someone in the elevator presses the same floor you want to get off at
• The loud, cheesy ringtone of someone else's phone going off in the middle of a formal meeting
• The ding sound of the elevator stopping at the floor you want
• A warm smile to a stranger in the elevator
• Seeing the back and profile of yourself in a hall of mirrors/fitting room/barbershop
• The sound of a waterfall/river/sea/rain
• Gazing at the faces of beautiful people
• They see you and, with a heartfelt smile, open their arms as an invitation for a hug
• A snowman
• A child whispering in your ear in a group
• The memory of the dawn naqareh in the Atiq Courtyard of the Shrine of Imam Reza
• Finding a sturdy, comfortable walking stick on a mountain hiking trail
• Rolling up your pant legs and dipping your bare feet up to your calves in the cool water of a river/pond
• Watching candlelight in the solitude and darkness of a room
• Giving friends a bee/mosquito bite (a playful pinch)
• Your friend's kid calling you uncle
• The memory of midnight and dawn solitude in the Cave of Hira
• Picking mulberries/green plums from the tree and eating them right away
• Randomly catching the scent of an old perfume of yours or of someone you love
• Whistling the Pat and Mat theme song with your mouth
• A long, deep yawn
• Throwing a blanket over loved ones who have fallen asleep or are drifting off in the living room
• Finely peeling an orange skin with a knife at a party and making shapes out of it
• Stirring the large pot of food for a religious ceremony
• Peeling fruit for others without them asking
• They cleanly peel your favorite fruit and insistently offer it to you to eat
• Going the wrong way on an escalator
• The memory of the image and energy of hope and silence of the million-strong crowd on the 25th of Khordad
• Witnessing the moment a ring is slipped on and tears of joy well up and fall from others
• A child excitedly jumping into your arms and hugging you tightly
• Several uninterrupted sneezes in a row
• Prayer/meditation in white clothes/a white robe
• Offering gum to the driver next to you/the police officer at the intersection while stopped at a red light
• Sitting on a chair in cold weather after someone else, and it's still warm
• Sitting facing downwards on an escalator step that is going up
• Hearing the news that your close friends are pregnant/have had a child = you become an uncle
• You hand them the Divan of Shams/Saadi/Hafez/Sayeh, and they open it and spontaneously, beautifully, and correctly recite a ghazal for you
• Borrowing others' beautiful rings for a few seconds and trying them on
• Harmonious singing and chanting together in the mountains, in the car, and at parties with close friends
• Those few deep breaths that come one after another before a stuck sneeze finally fires, and the climactic moment just before the sneeze
• The pleased embarrassment on your mom's face after you kiss her hand
• Identifying the catchphrases and speech patterns of others and repeating them in a playfully mocking way in their presence
• When, in the middle of an enthusiastic explanation, they illustrate part of the story with a specific cute/interesting hand gesture or sound, you say:
• You're behind the wheel and you let pedestrians and other drivers go when it's not your legal obligation, and you smile at each other
• Your friend takes your hand, pulls firmly, and you get up effortlessly
• A peppermint tablet before prayer/meditation
• Wandering aimlessly for hours and getting lost in new, scenic cities
• Frothy soap/body wash on a soft loofah
• Bottled chocolate milk with a Titoop
• The sparkle in their eyes
• Touching a gelofen tablet
• Seeing a photo/handwriting from their childhood/your childhood
• The bathroom slippers aren't wet
• The rustle of autumn's yellow, red, and purple leaves under your steps
• Sleeping alone in a double bed
• By chance, you wake up exactly at the bus/metro/taxi stop where you wanted to get off
• The softness of winter ice cream
• Hearing the story of how lovers/couples met
• You make a baby laugh and calm them down in the middle of their sobbing and crying
• The sweet sleep after a shower
• After hours of wearing jeans/suits, you put on shorts
• A kiss after shaving
• Filling in the last square of a crossword puzzle
• The smell of cucumber
• Squeezing or pulling a child's cheek
• Writing the first word on the first page of a new notebook
• The rustling sound of the street sweeper's broom before dawn
• You become friends with the neighborhood street sweeper and go to the cinema
• You take the family kids to the amusement park
• The moment they bring food on the airplane
• Crying in prostration
• Seeing a photo of Mir Hossein on the wall/desk/desktop of a stranger and an acquaintance
• Giving piggyback rides to kids/tiny friends/spouse
• Getting piggyback rides from burly friends
• Hugs after freedom
• Saying
• News of a new poem by your favorite poets being published and the excitement of reading it
• Sitting alone in a large, empty cinema/conference hall
• Making others laugh in formal settings
• Not being able to control your laughter in formal settings
• Going up to the rooftop of new buildings/friends' houses
• Watching the excitement of strangers reuniting after years at the airport
• Hearing the sound of others' heartfelt and simple-hearted prayers and supplications in the mosque/shrine/church
• Her smile when you offer her tea
• Mischief at the back of the class
• An empty desktop screen
• The sensation of teardrops rolling down your cheek
• Reversing at high speed down an empty street
• The heart palpitation from the excitement of seeing him/her
• Peach compote
• Someone knows the address you're asking for and guides you with a cheerful face and precision
• Getting soaked like a drowned rat under the Ordibehesht rain
• Spinning like an ancient wrestler/running euphorically/Sufi whirling under the rain in mild weather
• The warmth of paper coming out of the photocopier
• Kicking pine cones, stones, and bottles along the walking path in an empty alley
• Surprisingly joining in with a song/tune someone else is humming to themselves
• Seeing your own reflection in his/her eyes
• A quick, carefree spin of the steering wheel
• Running in a zigzag with arms outstretched after scoring a goal!
• Hearing the news of a political prisoner's hunger strike being broken (/victorious)
• The involuntary laughter in his/her eyes
• Watching the calm restlessness of people in crowded places
• Reciting ghazals together by candlelight
• The sound of horse hooves
• A full-length mirror in the pool/elevator/shop/bathroom
• Buying unrequested junk food for kids
• The smell and crackling of corn grilling on the brazier
• Throwing an apple/watermelon into the pond
• Hearing the sound of the music box he/she gifted you by turning its crank in the heart of the night
• Buying online and sending a small, heartfelt, no-occasion gift to the address of dear loved ones
• The shared silence and deep breaths during the end credits of impactful cinema films
• The first/last hug
• The memory of weightlessness and freedom in the first two seconds of a bungee jump/skydive
• A clean, fragrant, white bedsheet
• The satisfied smile of a friend you're giving a gift to, right at the moment they receive it
• Long, gentle caressing and secretly kissing his/her hand in the cinema/concert hall
• The moment of unconsciously composing a short poem
• The continuous playing of 'Classic FM' internet radio music in the background while cooking/writing
• Sending an anonymous gift to dear loved ones and never revealing it for the rest of your life
• Receiving an anonymous gift
• Giving/receiving a single tuberose/rose stem
• Smelling and drinking tea from a mug that is a gift from him/her
• A pinwheel
• The silence of dawn, under the sky

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500 Small, Meaningful Delights

Author: Mohammad Reza Jalaeipour

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